This invention relates to a space-dividing wall panel system formed from upright panels for use in dividing large open office areas into smaller work spaces and, more specifically, to a wall panel system defining an improved load-bearing and cable-accommodating main or xe2x80x9cspinexe2x80x9d wall to which return or branch walls are connectable to define individual workstations.
This invention also relates to an improved load-bearing main or spine panel which cooperates with similar such panels to define a spine wall, and further relates to an improved branch panel which is connectable in an off-modular manner to the main wall.
Commercial buildings typically include large open office areas which are divided into smaller work spaces or workstations by any of a number of space divider and panel systems that have been developed therefor. These space divider arrangements typically employ upright space-dividing wall panels which serially connect together to subdivide the office area into a plurality of smaller workstations of desired size and configuration. Such panels are typically less than floor-to-ceiling height, and cooperate with other furniture components to define an equipped workstation. These components may include worksurfaces, file cabinets, shelf units and the like which mount directly on and are supported by the wall panels, and may also include free-standing furniture components such as tables, chairs and file cabinets.
In subdividing open office areas into individual workstations, the individual wall panel assemblies have a variety of constructions. Typically, a plurality of upright space-dividing wall panels are employed which serially connect together through two-panel straight or angled connections, or through suitable three or four-panel connections, to subdivide the office area into the plurality of smaller workstations.
In one type of arrangement, a common panel construction is used to construct all of the walls of the workstations whereby each panel is individually connectable with serially adjacent panels through the aforementioned straight or corner connections. With such an arrangement, a group of workstations can be formed, for example, with a common central section of wall panels separating one row of workstations on one side of the central section from a separate row of workstations formed on the opposite side thereof.
Since each workstation usually requires power as well as communications capability such as for computers and telephones or the like, the wall panels preferably have power and telecommunications cabling within interior raceways thereof. Typically the central wall section formed by the wall panels carries the greatest number of cables since it provides access to all or most of the adjacent workstations formed on opposite sides thereof. In such an arrangement, however, the wall panels typically have a relatively narrow thickness to minimize the floor space being used and thereby have a limited cabling capacity. As a result, it may become difficult to accommodate all of the power and telecommunication cabling for all of the workstations associated with a particular group of workstations. Additionally, the central wall section also supports furniture components for the multiple workstations.
To provide an expanded capacity for the space dividing panels, a second type of space divider system is known which utilizes interconnected beams or wall panels having an increased cabling capacity to form a central divider wall. This increased capacity divider wall typically runs the length of a group of workstations and is commonly referred to as a xe2x80x9cspinexe2x80x9d wall. Such spine walls also provide an increased load-bearing capacity for readily supporting and mounting thereon furniture components of individual workstations.
In one known spine-type space dividing arrangement as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,955 (Ball et al.), an office space dividing system is provided where rectangular structural frames are formed of vertical mitered stiles having a vertically enlarged horizontal base rail proximate the lower ends of the mitered stiles and additional horizontal cross rails are disposed thereabove. The frames are connected with adjacent frames such that vertical columns are formed by the mitered stiles. Cabling is accommodated within each frame such that the communication cabling extends vertically through the mitered stiles in the region between the serially-adjacent frames and horizontally through passageways formed through the mitered stiles. This arrangement, however, requires the removal of furniture components when moving these components between panels and also routes horizontal cabling through the posts which thereby makes reconfiguration of workstations more difficult.
In a further spine wall arrangement as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,791 (Ball), a plurality of interconnected beams disposed at work-surface height are supported by vertical posts at the opposite ends thereof, which beams have a hollow interior in which cabling is accommodated. Such interconnected beams have stabilizer beams extending sidewardly therefrom which are connectable in the region intermediate the support posts. Additional patents relating to this particular arrangement are U.S. Pat. Nos. B1 4,224,769, 4,404,776 and 4,771,583. This arrangement also requires removal of furniture components when moving these components between wall sections.
A still further spine wall arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,904 wherein individual wall panel members are defined by a base panel having a horizontal boxed beam rigidly connected to a pair of laterally spaced apart vertical uprights connected at opposite ends of the box-beam and having reduced thickness compared to the box-beam. Appropriate extension panels can be mounted vertically on top of the base panel to provide variable height. With this arrangement, significant cabling capacity can be achieved, and the spine wall permits off-module connection with branch panels or other loads, including load-bearing branch panels since the box-beam construction provides the spine wall with significant strength capable of withstanding branch panel induced loads. Constructing the spine wall using the box-beam, however, does restrict interior usage of the panel.
Other known wall systems have also employed upright wall panels defined by an open interior frame and employing pads (sometimes referred to as tiles or covers) which detachably mount on both sides of the frame to provide increased flexibility with respect to use of the wall, particularly in terms of different use or job functions in the adjacent work spaces, and ease of installing and accommodating cabling in the wall panels for access from adjacent workstations.
While the known xe2x80x9cspinexe2x80x9d wall systems generally all function in a generally satisfactory manner, nevertheless most such systems possess structural, appearance, assembly or operational features which are believed to be less than optimal. More specifically, some of the more commonly experienced disadvantages with various known wall systems are:
an inability to mount external loads and specifically branch panels in an off-modular relation or, while some known systems permit off-module mounting, nevertheless many permit off-module mounting only in a restricted manner in that off-module mounting can occur only at selected locations, and as such the system still possesses so-called xe2x80x9cdead zonesxe2x80x9d which are locations where significant off-module external loading is not permittted;
some known systems do not provide optimum flexibility with respect to maximizing the types of tiles or pads which mount on the wall panels, particularly with respect to maximization of pad flexibility both vertically and horizontally so as to provide a wide variety of different appearance and use characteristics in the adjacent workstations;
many of the systems require use of branch or divider panels which are constructed like the spine panels and hence such branch panels are oftentimes over-designed for their intended use and hence result in the overall system being of significantly increased cost;
many known systems provide panels which extend vertically so as to substantially contact the floor along the complete lower edge thereof and hence undesirably impede or restrict proper air circulation in the adjacent workstations;
many such systems do not efficiently permit cabling (electrical and/or telecommunication) to be readily fed into the interior of the wall panels from an exterior source, particularly from cabling disposed below a raised floor, without use of unsightly external connectors.
Persons familiar with known systems as briefly discussed above will also readily recognize other disadvantages or inconveniences associated with such systems.
The present invention relates to an improved wall system and particularly a load-bearing xe2x80x9cspinexe2x80x9d wall which is usable in conjunction with and connectable to branch panels for defining workstations, and wherein the individual spine panels and branch panels and the walls and system resulting therefrom are believed to provide increased functional, aesthetic and operational characteristics, and hence are believed to overcome or at least minimize many of the characteristics deemed disadvantageous with respect to prior known systems.
In the present invention, particularly in accordance with one aspect thereof, there is defined an upright load-bearing or spine wall system defined by two or more main upright panels which are rigidly joined horizontally in series relationship. Each main panel includes an upright frame defined in part by a pair of generally parallel and vertically elongate uprights which generally define opposite ends of the panel. The uprights may be a one-piece member, or may be defined by a series of upright segments which are rigidly vertically stacked in aligned relation. The frame also includes a plurality of substantially identical elongate horizontal support beams which are disposed in vertically spaced but parallel relationship and extend generally perpendicularly between and have opposite ends rigidly joined to the uprights. The plurality of support beams includes upper and lower beams rigidly joined to the upright to define a generally rectangular ring-shaped outer frame configuration, and one or more intermediate support beams extend in spaced relation between the upper and lower support beams and are rigidly joined between the uprights. The support beams are preferably disposed in generally uniformly vertically spaced relation. The support beams comprise elongate tubular members having a horizontal width greater than the horizontal width of the uprights, and the support beams at free ends thereof are notched to define recesses which accommodate the upright therein, whereby side portions of the beam on opposite sides of the notch are cantilevered so as to project along the outer faces of the respective upright. The beam has opposite side walls which define therein slots which extend longitudinally (i.e. generally horizontally) throughout the complete length of the support beam, including throughout the cantilevered end portions, whereby the rigid aligned securement of adjacent panels results in the slots of adjacent support beams being generally aligned and in substantially continuous and open communication with one another. Each side of the frame is covered by one or more removable cover tiles which have a height which approximately corresponds to the vertical spacing between vertically adjacent beams, or is a whole number multiple of such height. Typically two or more cover tiles are removably attached generally vertically one above the other on at least one and normally both sides of the frame. The cover tiles and the support beams have cooperating connectors, such as spring or snap-like hooks, for releasably mounting each cover tile so that it is mounted on and extends vertically between two vertically spaced support beams. The mounting of vertically adjacent cover tiles on the support beams results in opposed edges of vertically adjacent tiles being vertically spaced a small distance apart so as to define an elongate clearance slot therebetween, which clearance slot generally aligns with and provides access to the longitudinally elongate slot defined in the adjacent side wall of the support beam, whereby external components such as worksurfaces, cabinets or the like can be mounted on the panel in load-bearing relationship therewith. The external device mounts thereon appropriate hangers which project rearwardly through the clearance slot between the tiles into the slot in the support beam to permit mounting of the external device on the panel. The continuous nature of the slots in the beams throughout the length of the panel, and the open aligned configuration of the slots in horizontally adjacent and aligned panels, allows external component hangers to be mounted on the wall and adjustably moved therealong, thereby providing unrestricted positioning of the component on the wall, i.e., unrestricted by the modularity (i.e., width) of the individual panels.
In the wall system of the present invention, as aforesaid, the slot in the support beam in a preferred embodiment has a generally Z-shaped cross section as it projects inwardly from the support beam side wall, and the hanger on the component has a cantilevered hook portion which adjacent the free end has a downwardly projecting hook part so that insertion of the hanger into the support beam slot results in the hook part of the hanger being positioned into a lower inner leg portion of the Z-shaped slot, and the platelike part of the hook member passing outwardly through the upper leg of the Z-shaped slot, whereby the hook engages interiorly of the slot to prevent direct horizontal withdrawal of the hanger from the slot. The hanger also preferably mounts thereon a removable locking member which inserts into the upper leg of the Z-shaped slot so as to overlie the hook plate and prevent upward movement thereof to effect positive locking of the hanger within the slot. Insertion of the hanger into the slot, or removal of the hanger from the slot, can be effected only when the locking member is removed from the hanger, and requires angular tilting of the hanger relative to the slot so as to permit the hook part at the free end of the hanger to be inserted into or removed from the lower inner leg of the Z-shaped slot. The hanger member can be secured to an appropriate support member, such that external components or loads can be mounted on the side face of the panels defining the wall system.
In the wall system of the present invention, as aforesaid, the slot in the support beam in an alternate embodiment of the invention is of an arcuate configuration as it projects inwardly from the support beam side wall, and the hanger of the component has a similar arcuate configuration so that insertion of the hanger through the passage between the tiles into the support beam slot requires that the hanger be moved through an arcuate path disposed in a plane generally transverse to the side of the panel, which movement when the hanger is properly engaged in the slot then provides for securement of the component onto the panel.
The wall system of the present invention, as aforesaid, also preferably includes one or more branch panels which are of a non-load-bearing construction but which can be attached to the spine wall at any location therealong so that the branch panel or panels extend transversely away from the spine wall so as to define different but at least partially separated work spaces thereadjacent. The branch panel secures to the main wall by a pair of vertically spaced connectors which have connector parts (i.e. hangers) thereon which correspond to the component hangers and which engage within the slots defined by a vertically spaced pair of support beams.
The wall system of the present invention, pursuant to a further aspect thereof, includes an upright divider or branch panel having opposite ends defined by upright end posts disposed in generally parallel relationship and rigidly joined by a plurality of generally parallel and vertically spaced connecting members which extend generally perpendicularly between and have opposite ends thereof rigidly joined to the end posts. The plurality of support members, each of which has a horizontal width substantially smaller than the horizontal width of the upright end posts, includes top and bottom support members which rigidly join the end posts and one or more intermediate support members disposed between the top and bottom support members, with the plurality of support members preferably being disposed in uniform vertically spaced relationship. One or more removable cover tiles are attached to each side of the frame, which cover tiles, by means of spring-like clips or hooks, cooperate with a pair of vertically spaced support members so as to permit the cover tiles to be releasably attached to the frame. The cover tiles nest between the upright end posts on opposite sides of the frame so that the width of the panel as defined between the exterior surfaces of the tiles generally corresponds to the width of the upright end posts.
In the improved wall system of this invention, as aforesaid, the branch panel can be used in conjunction with the spine panel discussed above, and the vertical spacing and elevations of the support members generally corresponds to the vertical spacing and elevations of the support beams of the main panel, and the vertically adjacent covering tiles on the branch panel preferably have their adjacent horizontal edges slightly vertically spaced to define a vertically small but elongate clearance passage therebetween which corresponds in elevation and dimension to the hanger-accommodating passages defined between the covering tiles of the main panel.
The present invention also relates to an improved panel-to-panel connector which can be utilized to connect two branch panels in series, or can alternatively be utilized to connect a branch panel to a main panel. The construction of this connector is described hereinafter.
The present invention also relates to a wall system which incorporates an improved cable-accommodating boot or shroud which encloses the leg structures associated with two joined main panels and extends vertically between the floor and the lowermost support beam. The shroud includes two substantially identical half shells which are moved horizontally together in surrounding relationship to the legs for enclosing the legs while maintaining interior space for accommodating vertical extension of cabling therethrough, such as from below a raised floor upwardly into the interior of one of the panels. Each half of the shroud is also of a telescopic construction including upper and lower telescopic half shells which are relatively vertically extendable so as to extend vertically between the floor and the bottom support beam, thereby accommodating for irregularities in the floor while enabling proper horizontal leveling of the wall system. The structure of the cable shroud is also explained in detail hereinafter.
Other objects and purposes of the invention will be apparent to persons familiar with structures of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.